Texas’s ITELG and Prekindergarten Guidelines: The official early learning framework
Texas uses a two-part framework for early learning standards: the Texas Infant, Toddler, and Three-Year-Old Early Learning Guidelines (ITELG, 2013) covers birth through age three, and the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines (2022) covers ages three through five. Both are developed and published by the Texas Education Agency (TEA). For children in kindergarten and above, standards are governed by the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS), also administered by TEA.
Programs participating in the Texas Rising Star (TRS) program or receiving Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF) subsidy are expected to demonstrate curriculum alignment to the ITELG and Prekindergarten Guidelines. Head Start programs in Texas must additionally meet federal Head Start Program Performance Standards, which parallel the ITELG framework. Programs can view current guidance at TEA’s Early Childhood Education page.
Texas’s Quality Rating and Improvement System is called Texas Rising Star (TRS), administered by the Texas Workforce Commission. TRS evaluates programs across four categories including curriculum and learning environment. Programs using a research-based curriculum aligned to the Texas ITELG and Prekindergarten Guidelines typically score higher in the Curriculum category of TRS reviews.
Explore by developmental domain
Texas’s early learning standards domains and Experience Curriculum alignment
Select a developmental domain below to see how Texas’s early learning standards define that domain, key milestones by age group, and how Experience Curriculum activities and skills map to each indicator.
Social-Emotional Development
Self-regulation, peer relationships, identity, empathy, and emotional expression
Explore Texas Social-Emotional Development standards →Language & Literacy
Receptive and expressive language, phonological awareness, early reading and writing
Explore Texas Language & Literacy standards →Mathematics & Reasoning
Number sense, patterns, measurement, spatial reasoning, and early problem-solving
Explore Texas Mathematics & Reasoning standards →Physical Development
Gross and fine motor skills, body awareness, health, and self-care
Explore Texas Physical Development standards →Science
Observation, inquiry, cause-and-effect, and exploration of the natural world
Explore Texas Science standards →Social Studies
Community, family, cultural identity, roles, and civic understanding
Explore Texas Social Studies standards →Creative Arts
Visual arts, music, movement, dramatic play, and creative expression
Explore Texas Creative Arts standards →Approaches to Learning
Curiosity, persistence, initiative, flexibility, and attention
Explore Texas Approaches to Learning standards →Curriculum alignment
How Experience Curriculum aligns to the Texas ITELG and Prekindergarten Guidelines
Experience Curriculum is formally aligned to the Texas Infant, Toddler, and Three-Year-Old Early Learning Guidelines (ITELG) and the Texas Prekindergarten Guidelines across all three age bands — Baby (birth to 18 months), Toddler (18 to 36 months), and Preschool (3 to 5 years) — and all 8 developmental domains. The Texas Alignment PDF documents how every Experience Curriculum activity and skill maps to a specific ITELG or Prekindergarten Guideline indicator.
For Texas programs using brightwheel, developmental observations can be logged directly in the app during or after activities, automatically building each child’s portfolio and supporting Texas Rising Star curriculum documentation requirements.
The Texas Alignment PDF is a free resource that maps every Experience Curriculum activity to the Texas ITELG and Prekindergarten Guidelines. It provides ready documentation for Texas Rising Star reviews, CCDF subsidy compliance, and licensing visits.
Frequently asked questions